


The Aliens that took me

by suddenly_astonishing



Category: Original Work
Genre: ABDL, Aliens, Creatures, Daddy Kink, Forced Regression, Gen, Mommy Kink, Multi, Original work - Freeform, Other, Supernatural - Freeform, abbduction, infantalisin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-03
Updated: 2020-05-26
Packaged: 2020-06-03 14:31:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 15,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19465963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/suddenly_astonishing/pseuds/suddenly_astonishing
Summary: A college student is living a normal life, right up until Aliens Decide to eat her brain, or abduct her.. she's not quite sure yet, but she sure hopes she lives long enough to find out!





	1. Abduction

It was there for a moment, and then it was gone. I could sense still but the immediate realisation, that’s what had gone, now I was sure, something was in my room. I heard strange noises. I saw strange lights. But I couldn’t point out what had made them. I couldn’t bring myself to look around, to try to imagine, what could be lurking there. I must be dreaming. I flopped back and turned over, when I heard something trying to speak what sounded like French. I sat up again and looked to wear the noise had reverberated from, I stared ahead. “Wait wait wait, I think I got it! I believe this is the dialect here, I can never tell it all sounds the same.” One of the people said in English.  
“Sh! She’s looking right at us!” The other whispered, but neither spoke to me. What I was actually looking at was pitch black darkness. My eyes searched through for them, but found nothing.  
“h-hello?” Neither person answered. “I- I know you're there...” I whispered again.  
“Please, do not scream.” I sucked in a gasp of air through my nose and lurched back. It was a creature. A huge creature, all I could see was his clear white irises. I didn’t scream. He said something else, but it was back to being gibberish. The alien backed away. I turned over so I was facing the wall, I never heard the aliens leave, but I prayed quietly that they had. I shut my eyes and laid very still until i fell asleep.  
The next morning, all was normal again. I sighed, sitting on the side of my bed. I still hadn’t done that English homework. I thought back to the aliens, maybe they should have kidnapped me, then I wouldn’t have to do homework anymore. That was just wishful thinking and I only had twenty minutes, I couldn’t afford to daydream any longer. I looked around, everything seemed normal, clothing on the floor, pens and papers knocked over from the wind aliens in the corner. I jumped. Aliens in the corner are not the usual. I blinked extremely hard, still there. They didn’t move, so with a shaky breath, I forced myself up and to the closet. I sighed as I opened the closet, mom hadn’t done the laundry again. I sighed as I rummaged through to find pants and a shirt.  
“May we help?” I nearly jumped out of my skin as I turned around. They were beautiful. Shimmering creatures with a dark gray skin color. Their eyes were like staring into pure light. Their hair was white and thin, it floated in the air. Their bodies were massive, and their heads touched my ceiling. I choked on my breath, I couldn’t look away.  
“Help with what?” I stammered. Everything I had been doing to this moment seemed vastly unimportant. I dropped the pair of pants I was holding.  
“Whatever you are attempting to do?” one of them answered. His mouth was a deeper shade of gray than the rest of him, but he had much thinner lips than a human, both of them did. Their teeth were razor sharp, and the whites of them stood out. Their voices were much less raspy in the daylight, and now they were apparently trying to be nice, their voices had become softer and more gentle.  
“Getting dressed?” I asked incredulously. I was about to tell them no, but they just looked so eager, and I didn’t have time to be fussing over my clothes. So I just shrugged and sat down pulling out my homework. The things rushed to pick out my clothing, and I quickly finished up the last of my English work. I put my work in my bag and zipped it up. I looked up to the creatures and did a double take. They had shrunk! They were now closer to my height instead of being in danger of hitting the ceiling.  
One of them had a shirt and pair of pants that were kind of cute together picked out; I didn’t remember owning them. “May I have my clothes please?” The alien who was holding my clothes stretched his arm. I moved so that I could meet in the middle, but his arm started to grow and it stretched all the way to me. I fought my deepest urges to scream and back away; instead I reached for the garments with shaking fingers. I held them to my chest. Inching back on the bed, I eyed his arm as it slid back into the size that it had been before. The arm hadn’t been elastic, it had been like the bone had grown, the ligaments didn’t just stretch, there was more added to them, as beautiful as they were, they were terrifying.  
Despite being afraid, a part of me felt self-conscious to be in front of them, as if I wanted these stunning creatures to like me. Though I didn’t know why. And then I was angry, why should I care what they think? I had never cared what anyone had before, why should I care about them? I opened the door quickly and slid to change in the bathroom. In a moment of rebellion, before going back into my room, I went downstairs for a quick orange.  
I walked back upstairs having almost totally forgotten the past few hours of events. Which is why when I saw them now sitting on my bed with my bag I quickly averted my eyes.  
The alien closest to me, took the pack and handed it to me, even though I said nothing. He spoke in his native tongue to the other creature and then wandered out of my bedroom. I went about my business before the decision to just let him walk out of my room caught up with me and I chased after him. He was gone. It was as though he had never been there at all. I sighed in relief. One down one to go. I headed back upstairs. I grabbed my light jacket off my hook and said, “Don’t you have somewhere to go?” I tried to make my voice kind of harsh, but it was hard because I still wasn’t sure if the alien was going to eat my brain or not.  
“And where would that be?” his voice had gotten deeper and slightly louder, his mouth contorted exaggeratedly so that he could make the words.  
I turned and walked out, I wondered if he’d follow. “I don’t know, anywhere but here.”  
“I like it here.” I heard his voice, but I couldn’t see him. I turned around.  
“Where did you go?” I whispered.  
“I’m right here, I just drained my skin’s pigment so that I wouldn’t be spotted.” I rolled my eyes, there was no good response to that. I tried to pretend like I couldn’t sense him right behind me as I went down the stairs for the third time this morning. It didn’t work. His massive form might have been invisible, but it was not unfeelable. His breath remained on the back of my neck. His arms surrounded me.  
I stepped out the front door and into the crisp air. I love fall, where you can see your breath it’s so cold, but the sun still feels warm. Where life is just an illusion, the leaves are dying but still green, the sun is bright, but the air is cold. The sky was still dark. I could hear the crows calling to one another in the almost bare trees. I shivered in my jacket and bounced down my two porch stairs. I do this routine every single day. I have for years, it never gets any different. Or at least it didn’t until today.  
The aliens stood looking expectantly at me from the sidewalk. I brushed past them keeping my head down. My resolve to be strong against them had been renewed after having breakfast. I would not be eaten. I would not give in.  
I could hear them stepping quietly behind me; but I forced myself to stay facing forward. I refused to face what I knew to be there. Acknowledging them would only make it worse. Instead I walked. It was only a ten-minute walk to school from my little house. If I could just get to school, maybe they would go away. When I reached my favorite oak tree, I realized they weren’t going away.  
I had stopped to touch the bark, like I do every day, and I saw that instead of looking like aliens, they now looked like human girls about my age. More than that they were beautiful girls with long brown hair and thin faces. They stood at my eye level now, and though they were tiny, they were perfectly formed with slender hands and kind eyes. "why, why do you look like that?" I was amazed and horrified, how could they just change forms so easily? I couldn’t look away. But they did not respond to my question.  
"We will be joining you for your school day." But that was all one said, then they both smiled, showing their white perfect teeth and walked past me, leaving me confused and behind. Despite my resolve, I could not help feeling some attraction to them. What power did they have to achieve these feats? How could they do these things? No matter how hard I tried to wrap my mind around one thing they could do it was never enough. No matter how fast my mind processed, by the time I had finally accepted the last talent, they were using another even better one.  
I walked after them trying to catch up. Even though we had only just met, and they were aliens coming to eat my brain, I had a sense of shock and almost hurt when they had just walked away from me at the tree. All morning, they had been reserved but kind. This moment was the first time I began to see they were not always so gentle.  
Soon I could see my college in the distance. I walked behind them slowly, just breathing in the crisp air. "Come on then, keep up, we don’t want you to be late." They stopped and parted, allowing me room to walk between them. I slumped my shoulders glumly. Their looks were deceiving. It was embarrassing how they looked so much like me, and yet were clearly so much older. I felt so inferior.  
As I walked to my first class I wondered just how this would play out, when they had said they were coming to school with me it hadn't occurred to me that they meant classes to. What would the professors think? And if they were planning on eating me, why would they go through this trouble? None of this made any sense to me. Also, how did they know where to go? or what to say?  
My teacher acted as if the aliens had always been in our class. He even called them human names. I just stared in shock. It went through this same way all day; the aliens, while they followed me did not cling, and they looked at me in a way that made my skin crawl. It was an almost parental look.. They made no effort to talk to anyone but me, and even that was minimal. They just sat in silence. When a professor asked for a book to be pulled out, they had it. Though they never went to the bookshelf to grab them, when either one was asked a question, they both always answered correctly. It was as if they were perfectly well adjusted human women. It made me want to scream. None of these people knew, no one could figure it out. It was maddening. Despite them being well liked by the professors, other students were put off by them. One could tell because nobody came near them. Even the one or two friends I had did not come to say hi. The aliens walked in perfect synchronization, and never to quickly. It was almost like they had been tethered to one another without actually being connected. They made the dark halls look somehow brighter.  
When my break came for lunch I had never been more excited. walking around with them was draining. They were unpredictable. Every second I wondered what they would do, would they answer if a professor asked them something? would they make friends? They always did, and no they didn’t but the idea that they might terrified me. This whole day was definitely the strangest I had ever experienced, and I was glad to be eating gross cafe food if only because it was normal. Hopefully they would leave after my classes ended and this was just some weird alien research project that I would never ever need to remember again.  
I put my bag down at my table. It was the same table I had sat every day since the beginning of the year, and I always sat on the left end. Nobody ever sat with me, so it was strange to see the aliens waiting for me to sit. I rummaged in my pocket for my money. My heart skipped a beat. I felt through my other pocket, not there either. I whipped around to my bag and started frantically looking through every pocket. How could I lose my money? I had it in my pocket, I had felt it there in my pocket before but where did it go?  
The aliens stood there motionless, watching me for a moment, before one of them, I didn't even look to see which one, put a delicate hand on my arm. I jumped instinctively, but she kept her hand on my arm. It was such a light touch, but her hand felt fake and uncomfortable. I froze, my eyes wide. I did not look to her. She moved a closer to me, I stopped moving and kept my eyes on my bag. "What are you looking for?" She whispered, but it wasn't in her human voice, it was in the same voice that I had heard the night before, the deep throaty alien voice, her real voice. It was strange to hear her again. The monster was still inside of her, even if she looked human.  
"my.. my money.. It's gone. I lost it." I felt the ache in my stomach. I had had nothing since the orange this morning. I didn’t want to go all the way home for lunch, I would miss my last class of the day if I did.  
"what does money do?" It asked me repeating the words slowly just as I had said them.  
"It gets me food." I huffed. There would be food at home. I would just have to go hungry tell then. I could do that.  
"Is this enough?" The one who had been speaking put her hand in front of my face before I could respond. A brand new one hundred dollar bill was staring back at me.  
I stared at the creature in awe, "Where did you get this?" I gently touched the crisp paper. I had never seen a hundred dollar bill before.  
The alien did not answer she just repeated, "Is this enough?"  
I looked up, "No it's too much. I can’t take this from you. It’s fine. I’ll be okay." I watched as the bill split apart into five twenty dollar bills. She took the top one and handed it to me. I took it with shaking fingers. Then she handed me a second one. I did not want her money. Only bad things come from owing someone something. Nevertheless, the money was already in my hand, and I felt faint. So I swallowed my pride, and I folded the bills up, corner to corner, trying to make the edges perfect.  
"Go and bring us back one of whatever you are getting the exact same way as you, please." I looked up, but she said nothing more. They had both sat down. They were looking at each other so deeply it was almost uncomfortable. I realized that was my dismissal cue. I looked down and stared at the money in my hand. How had they done that? What were they? Then it occurred to me, I probably did not want to know. I picked up my cherished wrap, and the two for them, even though the lunch lady looked at me funny. I gave each of them the wrap they had asked for. I held out the other twenty and the rest of the change. The both looked at it, then at me but made no move to take it. I shoved it inside my backpack immediately. I wanted to ask them more questions, but somehow I had this feeling that they wouldn't have answered my questions anyway. I instead, ate and watched them.  
They seemed to be oblivious to me. They were talking in their own quiet language and looking around the room. I realised what a foreign concept college must be to an alien. They had this way about them that even though they looked like humans, they were clearly not humans. They always looked directly into your eyes when they wanted to talk to you, and it was like you physically couldn’t look away. You were trapped until set free. Which was why every time they tried to talk to me I jumped. Neither alien had put their sandwich in their mouth, all they did was touch it, and it was gone. Then they looked up at me and I jumped, once again. "Why do you not sit with other people?"  
I looked away at the crowded lunchroom. It was by no means a choice I made.“Oh you know, nobody here is much fun anyway."  
"You are lying.” It spit the words out. “ I will ask again, Why do you not sit with other children?"  
I looked down. I fought their painfully heavy gaze as hard as I could muster. But part of me wanted to tell them the truth and part of me wanted them to like me. "Nobody likes me here, they pick on me a lot."  
"All the other human children we have seen do not behave in this manner. What does 'pick on you' mean?" Her voice had not gone back to being her human tone. I tried to ignore her and eat, but I couldn't help myself from answering. Even though the creature on the left was the only one talking, I once again had the feeling she was speaking as one person with her counterpart, as if they were really one person split into two bodies.  
"Picking on someone means bullying, or making fun of someone? Being mean? I don't really know how to explain it."  
"So you mean to say that they do not wish you to sit with them, yes?" I just nodded.  
"I don't mind. It's not so bad being alone all the time. Thank You for lunch by the way, and the money you gave me." The bell rang and I packed up my stuff. When I turned to grab my wrap to throw it out, I found our table had already been cleared. Both creatures were waiting for me at the door. I tucked my head down and followed them.  
The rest of the day passed uneventfully, and I strangely found comfort in their presence. They were oddly nice to me, in a way that made me think that they might be here for a reason other then eating my brain. They would open a door for me, or pick up my bag for me. They did not speak often, but that was okay. Even though it was unusual, among all the other kids it was refreshing. I had never realised quite how loud everyone was until I was around them. It was strange to have them follow me everywhere. While they did look around, I caught them staring at me on numerous occasions. It was strange to know that aliens had come to Earth and gone through all this trouble just to go to school with me.  
As we walked out of the school building they each pulled out a small gray circular device. "Are you ready to see us in our true form? We promise we will not hurt you. This device makes it so that only people we wish to see may see what we are about to show you. Nobody will know we were here today." They looked at me expectantly, so I nodded yes. The gray machine spun, and then there was a bright light and then there was nothing. I watched in horror and in awe as their skin pigment slowly began to fade back into the color of this morning and their limbs began to grow. At their full height they must have each been over twenty feet high. I had to crane my neck to see up that high. Their eyes grew wide and their hair grew long, pale, and feather white. It glistened and flew about their heads as if it was lighter than air. Both creatures became slightly elevated off the pavement, and their clothing changed to that worthy of such things. It was made out of long shimmery glossy material that flowed around and behind them. It was like a massive wrap, but neither alien was shy. They wore the robe loosely and that allowed me to see all the way down their bodies. The robes shined so brightly off their shoulders that it hurt my eyes and I had to look away. One again I was faced with the question of why were they here? What did they want? What could someone as small and insignificant as me give them? I didn’t even know where the nearest government building was for me to take them to my leader like it was in the movies! What could I possibly have to offer them?  
"No government building you could take us to would or could give us what we want. After all as far as most of your planet's governments are concerned, there is no such thing as what we are."  
"How did you know..?" The aliens had started gliding toward home then, and I rushed to keep up with them. At the same time as rushing to stay focused on what they were saying. It was so much to process. It felt like I was drowning.  
"It is an ability we have. To you it would be considered empathy. I can look at you and accept your emotions, thoughts, and needs in an instant. We try not to do it unless it is necessary."  
I said nothing. It was obvious they were going to do what they wanted, whether or not that coincided with my wishes was unimportant to them. The other creature, looked down at me "You are struggling."  
I felt like a fat pig running on to short legs to keep up. But I just smiled, "I'm okay, I’ve got this."  
"I shall carry you." It appeared I did not have a say in the matter. The creature bent down and lifted me up into its arms. It held me in one hand as if I was a toddler. It’s skin was cool and rough, with little scales almost like an amphibian but smaller. Though it was rough it was also gentle. It was obvious that the creature was using extreme caution. There was no reason for me to scream, I knew nobody could see or hear me.  
"We have decided that you would make a good fit. So now we shall answer your many questions. We shall use names that are similar to our own but in your language for your convenience. As you have already figured out Dakota and I are bonded, meaning we are in a sort of marriage as you would call it. While our species has enough babies to continue growing, not every pairing is allowed a child. Many hundreds of years ago our species found yours, and struck a deal with them. In exchange for not enslaving all of you, each pairing is allowed a human child to make their own and raise from childhood."  
I interrupted, "So you're going to enslave me? What could I possibly do for you?"  
The creature turned to look at me, first his eyes narrowed, and then softened again. It kind of frightened me. "We are not here to enslave you. We are here too as you would say adopt you."  
"But I already have a mom how could you adopt me what about school and my family and what's going to happen?" I whispered stunned. The creatures just continued walking. Though I did realize that the one holding me had begun slowly rubbing my back in a soothing manner.  
"Your mother and family will be well taken care of and you will still be allowed to see them regularly. On our planet newborns are born knowing what you know from your human school in terms of math and sciences, it is an innate understanding. You will be bonded with us and grow as a newborn into a successful member of our society. You will eventually be able to attend our schools, and you will grow as one of us."  
"So I have to go back to like diapers and stuff? Do I have a choice?" I looked away from them to the ground far below.  
"Technically no you do not. However, If you wish to stay we shall honor that, wipe your memory of us, and leave you alone. We do not want to force you, but we promise that if you do choose to stay with us you shall be quite happy. Nobody will ever hurt you while you are under our protection." He looked at me so kindly, I just nodded.  
"And I'll still get to see my mom? She'll be ok?"  
"We shall make sure of that. While our planet is not far, your ships will never be able to get fast enough to take her to you. However in ours, it only takes a few earth hours, we shall bring you back to visit. We are so glad you have decided to come home with us."  
"Wait but I-"  
"Your heart has already decided. You shall worry of nothing, forever from now on."  
I sat quietly just thinking. Once again I didn't know what to say. I knew that I did want to go with them. I had never felt like I had fit in on this planet and they seemed nice enough. I mean so far they hadn't even nibbled on my head. But still I worried, what would be in store for me?

or find me on my vanilla blog https://learninglifebeingdifferent.squarespace.com


	2. Leaving Earth

When we reached my house, Dakota, who had been holding me, finally set me down. I let them in my home once more, "Mom! Mom come down here, there are some...." I looked at them, with some question, I couldn’t voice, but neither moved to interrupt me. "Things that need to speak to you!"  
"Marley!" I heard her call from upstairs,"that’s no way to address a guest." I almost smiled, little did she know how correct I was.  
Dakota took my hand. "Come on, it's time to allow River to handle this. You should not be here."  
I pulled my arm back to stand in the same place, "But I-" The creature’s black eyes became bigger holes. It almost looked like I was seeing nothing, and everything in that same glance. I knew, she was serious. I looked down away from her but I followed.  
"He will make sure everything is ok." It told me. It had taken my hand again, and while I did follow, all I wanted to see was my mom. I watched it grow back up to its full height, or as much as he could, given our low ceiling as we stepped out the back door. I tried to take one last glance, but all I saw was my mom’s silhouette in the distance.  
"So that one is a he?" I asked. She pulled me along, further from the door. There was no point in trying to find out what It was saying in there to my mom. My poor mom, alone with an alien. What had I gotten myself into?  
"In your world, we are what you would call fluid gender. He is primarily male, but he can change to female if he so chooses. I am primarily female. Our partnership is not primarily based upon physical attraction. We are also equal in our mind and soul."  
My backyard was not big, but it wasn't tiny either. It felt smaller now though, as she walked, and pulled me along throughout it. It had a small swing set from when I was young, and a grassy patch on the right. But the best part of it was the massive tree in the center. It provided shade for the house, and when my dad had been around, he put a tree swing on it for me. It seemed to me that the tree’s branches touched the sky. I let her hand go to wonder over to it. My forehead found a place along the cool tree bark, I ran my fingers along the mossy ridges. How would I live in a new home, without this tree to look out at?  
"I can put you on that tree if you trust me." She said. I broke out of my day -dream. The tree seemed much higher than it had a moment ago when there was no chance of me getting on it. but I nodded to her. It was the least I could do, to say goodbye to the old tree. I was swinging through the air. My feet dangling below me, And then I was sitting on the tree branch the rope swing still sat on. The red and orange leaves rustled and pulled themselves from the tree in the wind. As I straddled the tree I could see all around me, from the little birds in trees cawing above me, to the leaves, just barely touching the grass below me.  
"Thank you for this." my voice was low, and wet, as I looked out to the house I knew we would be leaving soon.  
Her face contorted, and her irises once again came into focus, the beautiful flecks shone brightly in the falling sunlight. "Your welcome, young one. River is calling to us." I nodded but before I could move to climb down, she had me in her arms. She put me down neatly at the back porch. With one last glance at the tree, I stepped into my house and my mom who was sitting on the far couch, stood up. My thoughts of both River and Dakota were temporarily forgotten as I moved to meet her half way.  
"I love you, Mom." I told her, as she met me, but instead of a hug, she grabbed my arms with her cold fingers and into my hazel eyes with her own.  
“You really want this?” I teared up but I found myself nodding anyway.  
"Will you be ok? I’ll come visit a lot. Can even do the laundry." I joked. The laundry was my most long standing chore.  
She nodded, as I watched her eyes became wet. "I don’t think you’ll need to do the laundry where you are going."  
I smiled through my tears, she let my arms go to wipe her face with the back of one of her hands. And then, she threw her arms around me, and hugged me tighter, then I think she ever had before. I breathed deeply, and looked around the room, at the ratty couch, and our scuffed up hardwood floors, and the pictures of me on the wall. I had to memorize this moment, I didn’t know when I would get another one.  
I knew she didn't want to admit it, but I had been a burden to her since my father had left. I let her go, and she turned away from me to wipe her face again. I didn’t bother to wipe my own as I turned to face the creatures. "I'm ready now."  
“You must say goodbye.” Dakota walked toward the steps to upstairs. Bewildered, I followed. “Say goodbye to your things.” I trailed into my own room, and looked at my old books, toys, memories. I grabbed my baby blanket off the bed. I sighed deeply, I would take this. I walked out past her, and rounded the corner of the stairs. It was time to go. More time here, and I’d only want to change my mind.  
River met me at the bottom of the stairs. He bent down and took my hand. I flinched a little, but let him touch me. I felt the warmth from him flow into my hand, and I smiled at him, a sad watery smile. . He may be human sized, but he was definitely not human. They both turned to the wall, and once I saw what they were about to do, I turned away and held on. Together, the three of us walked into the wall. I fully expected to bounce back with a broken nose and a concussion. But when I opened my eyes, I was in what I assumed to be a ship. In the center, was a big ball of bright light, the rest of the ship was bare and black, so that almost nothing was seen. There was only one chair.. River looked to Dakota. He did not say anything, but between the two, who were both now in their full shape and size, I could tell they were using their link.  
Dakota stood at the giant ball of light. She put her hands over the ball. Her eyes grew light and her hands glowed as she directed the ship. It jolted back and then forward and then suddenly there was a giant lurch. I fell against River, though this was not much of a problem, being as I barely came up to the bottom of his knees. He lifted me up into his arms and then promptly sat down in the lone chair. I heard a cackling sound, and when I looked at Dakota, she was laughing at us. He thought I didn’t see, but I saw what can only be described as a smirk flicker across his face, as he buckled us into the seat.  
I watched all the stars we went past with wide eyed wonder. The chair was behind the main windows of the ship, and so while before, on earth, they appeared as smaller dots, now that I was up here, they also looked like dots, but there were many many more of them. I reached for my bag and pulled my blankie out. I held it tight. While the stars were breathtaking, a full day of classes, and leaving the planet, had taken its toll on me. There was no use or point in trying to do or see more, as I had been buckled into the seat with him like a lap baby. Gently I felt his fingers rub my arms, as if to say that everything was going to be okay. I relaxed into him and his massage. Even if they were going to eat me still, at least I had seen this.  
When I next woke up, I was still in his arms, but we were facing a purplish gray planet. "Welcome to your home." He whispered. He unbuckled us, and I stood up shakily and walked to the windows still holding my blanket. I had never seen anything so massive. "It’s name is Arc. You slept for most of the journey home due to the atmospheric pressure. You will be able to breathe on our planet due to the partial bonding process we did with you while you were asleep back on earth. Please don’t be alarmed by the others who have come to meet you. No one will hurt you.” River stood next to me staring out the window. Partial bonding process? Breathing? More creatures waiting for us? I yawned.  
“We are approaching the landing base, please secure yourselves.” I watched in awe as we entered the planet’s atmosphere. River pulled me back by the hand into himself.  
While the planet’s topography was similar, with land, rivers, and mountains just like earth, Arc had a completely different range of colors. When we landed, the sky had a green tint instead of our usual blue sky and the dirt was a deep purple with specks of glittering gemstones. It looked like kinetic sand, lush and soft.  
As we came to a smooth landing, I looked down to see that there was indeed a crowd of Aliens all dressed in what looked like robes, waiting to see me. I gulped. Already i felt like a toddler in compared to the creatures of River and Dakota’s size. Nevermind that I had come here in order to be a baby again. It was so embarrassing. Did they know that I had come here because I wanted to be a baby again? Or did they assume it was something else? I wanted to go home, but it was a little late for that.  
There was no rush of air like in the movies when the spaceship opened, it was just a door with stairs but the stairs were retractable. As the door opened, Dakota lifted me into her left arm from my place on River’s lap, and took River’s hand in the other. They walked cleanly to the edge, where we met the crowd. We came out into the light, we, and the group who had gathered, each stared at the opposite group. When they saw me they did not cheer or clap as I hoped. But then I also could not stop looking at them. They all wore their feathery hair differently, some had long hair like Dakota, and others only to their shoulders like River, some had no hair at all. They all appeared to be so opposite each other.  
They stared back at me, the blackness of their eyes was getting bigger and then smaller inside their crisp blue irises. Then each alien raised his right hand up to the sky, including River, who did it for the both of them. A shimmering beam came from each alien to meet in the middle, and there was a deep rumbling that sounded almost like a hum. I had to look away, it was so bright. I would come to understand in time, that this was their version of clapping.  
After a moment, River moved his same right arm and instead put it straight ahead, A massive ring of black cubes came into focus and straight down to us. Stairs came out from the cube, leading straight into the wall again, just as the spaceship had done. I hid in Dakota as the other aliens stared at us. “Do not fear, as we said before, nothing shall harm you. We will go inside and show you your home, and then we shall finish your bonding.” She said it so plainly, like it was common knowledge. I wanted to wake up from this dream.  
“My bonding?” I asked, but received no answer. They walked with such confidence. Their heads held high, hair whisping behind them. Their long flowing wraps floating ever so gently up the stairs. None of the aliens spoke to each other. I kept my eyes wide open this time, as we stepped through the wall of the cube.  
“This is our food room, and our living cube. Houses here are not made in one building, but in many. Our species is normative, meaning we move regularly to different parts of the Arc based on the danger levels in a certain area. Our homes are mobile to allow for this.” I nodded just soaking it all in. This cube could have fit my entire home inside of it easily. The furniture was gigantic, built for their massive size. I would have to climb over the side just to get onto the couch. I saw that I would not be able to accomplish anything without their assistance, even if I had wanted too.  
The living room was clean, but also soft. The couch was a furry material in a bright red color. The center table was black and round with metal legs. I noticed they had put some type of covering around the edges, and realized, with some embarrassment, that it was meant to be baby proofing. Behind the living room, the kitchen had a table and an island with pretty hanging lights. The whole space was elegant, and pretty, much like them. “We’ll show you your room now.” They walked out of the wall by the back of the sofa.  
We stepped out onto a small porch, River gave three short commands I couldn’t understand and a third smaller block appeared out of the wall. I watched as a path solidified. I looked to the precarious dark depths below, afraid. How high up where we? what happens if I step out of my room and fall? My thoughts gripped me and instinctively I gripped Dakota. I wanted to believe that they would never let that happen, but a part of me, still wasn’t sure.  
As far as aliens go, not that I'm an expert or anything, but they were quiet. Only saying the bare minimum, I thought, as we stepped lightly, from room to room. They barely spoke to me, or to each other. If they were happy to have me, they didn’t show it. I began to worry if they even wanted me there at all. I knew it was stupid, but part of me wanted them to like me. I was suppose to be living with these creatures for forever, what do they do with humans they get bored of?  
River stepped through first, and then me and Dakota. It was perfect, as far as a baby room goes. No matter how much I loved my room at home, there is no denying that this room had clear love poured into it. It was a vibrant purple and white color scheme. A shag rug covered the center of the floor, a white crib sized for me was at the far right against the wall. It had a horse mobile, spinning in the slight breeze, hanging over top. There were no cartoon characters, like had been in my childhood nursery, but in the far left corner was a little chair, probably my size, with soft toys, books, and stuffed animals, piled up around it. Closer to us, but also on the left side was a large changing table. I gulped and I took a shaky breath. The air felt clean but still not as natural as on Earth. I took another one and looked around again. It could be worse. “We hope that you will grow to love us.” River said, looking at me. None of us moved closer or farther away, just standing there watching eachother.  
I didn’t answer them, what was I supposed to have said? “I wanna love you too but I’m scared you’ll eat me?” I don’t think so. The aliens took me into the bathroom, which was in the same cube as my bedroom, and was only separated by a doorway. The bathroom was massive like them and the rest of their “house”. It had a bathtub that was the size of a small swimming pool. Inside the swimming pool, was a purple tub that looked about the size of my tub at home. I realized with some shock and disdain, that it was their version of a baby bath. “River will give you a bath, and then you will have some adjustment time before the ceremony.” She said, setting me down on the floor. I looked at River, craning my head up, regarding him almost as curiously as he was regarding me.  
“Ceremony?” I questioned. But Dakota was already leaving. River said nothing to answer me. I sat down on the white tile. His long legs were bent down on the mat by the tub, his hands turning and pushing buttons. I could almost remember my dad, as a fuzzy sort of flashback, doing this for me as a child. But River was nothing like him. My dad had been angry, his movements always rapid and harsh. Even in the short time I had known both creatures, I knew they were not like that. I watched as River went to his knees over the tub, his dress wrinkling around what should have been his calves. His feet pulled back, as he pushed himself up using the bathtub’s edge. His glittering legs walked around the bathroom like I wasn’t even there. I could see he was pouring in something to the bath, a towel was put on the sink top. If he knew that I was staring, he ignored it.  
I sighed, the bath had to be almost ready. It felt like I had been sitting on the tile for hours. I pulled off my shirt and pants. He didn’t turn to look. I was standing up behind him now in just my underwear. I pulled down my bra straps, my eyes never leaving his back. His white hair was resting so still against his shoulders, He was bent, checking the liquid in the tub to make sure it was the right temperature. I pushed the bra down my body to meet my underwear, and pulled them both off my feet. I was almost daring him to look. Daring him to see my naked body, there, waiting. What did he think of my body? Finally, but still slowly, he turned his massive body to look to where I was. Even crouched down, he was three heads taller than me. I looked away from him, but I could feel his eyes pouring over me trying to understand. Understand what, I wasn’t sure, but whatever it was, it made me feel self- conscious. “Are you going to say anything?”  
He blinked in surprise and stood up until he was leaning over my head. I waited but he said nothing. He just stood, looking at me. He bent slightly and lifted me high up to his face. Whatever he had been wondering, it was clear he had figured it out. He lowered me slightly and pressed his cool thin lips to my forehead. He held my body, still naked, against his neck and chest as close as he could, to himself. Immediately, I regretted my questioning about what he thought. I rested stiff against him, but he didn’t let me go, or move his lips from my forehead for a long while, long enough that I wondered if the bath liquid would get cold, long enough that I got comfortable enough to wrap my hands around his neck and breath easily. When he felt me relax in this position, he finally let me go, and allowed me to move my head away. “I think you are beautiful, young one. I cannot call you our little girl.” His gravelly voice and the hum of it coming out of his neck and chest was so intense I was glad I was looking away. My face felt red and hot, and my tummy felt jittery; but I still didn’t know how to answer him other than to press my face against him and hope he understood.  
I had almost fallen asleep there, when I felt River lower his whole body down to the floor, and put me in the baby bath filled with the warm purple liquid I had been waiting all this time for. I now realized, the bottle he had poured into the tub earlier, had been bubble bath, and smiled. That was a thoughtful touch. “Here what your version of water would be is this.” He was running his long fingers through the bathtub gently, before catching a bubble on his finger. He looked at it, interested, as he spoke. “ It is a cleansing substance that all creatures on our planet need to survive. In runs in patterns similar to your lakes and rivers, but also can be found in living things.” I kicked with my feet to make waves.  
It was thicker than water. It slid through my fingers like soft diluted slime. It smelled like metal. I tried to relax against the back of the plasticy tub. River picked up a washcloth and began gently brushing my body with it. I felt his hands sliding down my legs and the soap bubbles popping all over my body. “Tilt your head back now, please.” I shut my eyes, but tipped my head back as he picked up a small bucket and rinsed my hair. I tried to focus on anything but the fact that an alien was trying to wash me as I felt his thin fingers massaging the soap into my hair, and rinsing it out again. “You're all clean now, Marley.” His voice came softly to me, I almost didn’t hear him. I opened my eyes just in time to feel him pull me up out of the tub. He carried me to the monstrously high changing table. I shivered involuntarily. I looked up at River but he didn’t look back at me.  
He stood over me and laid a white piece of what felt like cloth over my crotch and pressed a small blue button on it. I shook my head wondering why one would ever need such a thing but then I felt it. The cloth was melting and then expanding, it grew to be a thin film all around my bottom and crotch area. It felt like a pair of cotton underwear, but then it grew to a thick fluffy level that encompassed my whole crotch. I sat up immediately. The aliens had done it, they had created touch screen diapers. He waved at me to stay down before pulling out a beautiful glittering dress like the ones he and River had. He slid it over my head and fixed it around my body. “T-thank you.” I whispered. I spun all around in my seat, looking at the silver sparkles. I looked at myself and he in the full length mirror. I looked like one of them, but I also looked like a toddler in comparison to him. The immense size, beauty and shape of him fully enveloped what was left of my person. Part of me was terrified, the alien could do whatever he wanted to me and i would have no way of answering. The other part of me was comforted, if such a creature was protecting me, nothing on Earth could hurt me. But I was on the Arc.  
I also realized that if humans evolved to suit our planet earth, and these creatures had also evolved in a similar fashion, what was out there that they would need to be so big and strong? What would they need to become invisible for? Rain answered me, “Nothing that you need to worry about for now. The ceremony will begin soon. We must grab your last present and then travel. “  
“Last present?” But River didn’t answer me this time. Instead he carried us back into my bedroom. Looking at it again, I felt my heart warming just a little. They had gone through a lot of trouble to make this room for me. He pressed a button on the crib and the rail dropped. Rain made a foreign noise almost like a growl and then sat on the bed. Dakota appeared.  
“You don’t have to yell. Our cube is not large. I can hear you through the link.” River just smiled. It was the first bit of affection I had seen from them, and it settled me. Dakota sat down on the bed. She reached behind herself and pulled out a small soft looking elephant. Elephants were my favorite. “This elephant was made special for you. It has been bonded to you by your DNA it will be your comfort animal and companion. Tonight, when you accept us as your family, this elephant will awaken. It will become whatever gender you want, however old you want, and have a personality that is matched to yours perfectly. The only thing you have to do is say it’s name at the ceremony. ” I nodded but i was skeptical. How could they create such a thing? River and Dakota stood. They handed the stuffed Elephant to me, and it fit perfectly into my arms. I held it tight and shut my eyes. I wished they would just tell me the truth of how everything worked.  
I kept my eyes shut as they walked out of the cube. I didn’t want to see. My head hurt. I was processing too much information at once. I let go of my elephant to hold my head instead. I felt one of their scaly soft hands on me probably trying to find out what was wrong. I felt slightly dizzy, and then my vision got grainy, and then I passed out.  
I don’t remember how we got there. I don’t remember all these others coming in. I don’t remember being set down on this table. I felt the cold surface and looked in terror around me. Instead of being in glittering outfits like River and Dakota, they were in dark gray robes with their hoods up. They were making a deep tribal groaning sound that shook and deafened me. I looked up to the floating blinding chandeliers. Where was I? I turned around and saw River and Dakota. Neither looked at me. They looked straight ahead, they to, were making the noise. I looked back and forth between they and the rest of their kind. I felt a sense of pride, they were far more beautiful than any of the others.  
An alien stepped out from the perfectly aligned rows. I watched as the alien came toward me. The crowd raised their hands like they had done when we had stepped out of the ship. The aliens began speaking in their language, and though i tried to understand, there was no way for me to figure it out. The longer I sat here, the more I thought I was going to be eaten. The alien who was speaking stepped all the way forward and picked me up. I reached for Dakota and River, who were still behind me, my eyes wide with terror.. He turned to the crowd, who once again raised their hands to me as I squirmed and tried to get back to the table . Finally, he set me back down on the table. I inched back to River and Dakota. Both looked down on me, and put a hand on each of my shoulders, they pushed me back, and moved me to face the crowd again. The head alien looked to me and then spoke in English.  
“ Marley, you have chosen to come to this ceremony of your own will, to become one of us. But you must also choose, of your own will, to raised in our customs and ways by this pairing of an Arkian brother and sister. Do you take these two to be your family? Will you accept them to love, cherish, and raise you as one of their own?”

My vanilla blog: https://learninglifebeingdifferent.squarespace.com


	3. So Am I An Alien Now?

River and Dakota looked down to me with their stunning eyes. I realised then that there was no way I could tell them no. I thought about the room, and the presents, and how they let me say goodbye to my mom. They loved me. I looked back to the alien. “I will. I will take them.”   
Restraint ribbons came out of the table and gripped my hands, feet, and stomach, by looping my limbs over them over and over. I watched in horror but the more I struggled the faster they came. The alien was still holding me, but as the black ribbons retracted into the table, they pulled me with them out of his arms. I screamed loudly but no one heard me over the deafening hum of approval the crowd was making. They seemed to be getting larger and larger. I realised they were actually coming closer, not getting larger. This was it, they convinced me to love them, and now they are gonna eat me.   
The head alien was closest to me, and he raised his hands up to calm the sounds of the crowd, which stopped almost immediately. Even I attempted to stop screaming. “You have already been partially bound to these two, but we must now finish the bond. I’m sorry, but this is going to hurt.” My eyes widened as I processed what he was saying - what was going to hurt?  
His face was the last clear image I had before the blurry images of Dakota and River on either side of me. The momentary peace had ended, as the crowd got louder, my tears dripped down onto the table and my wrists burned from the ribbons. My attention was stolen from Dakota and River, to the needles which were coming out of the table. I watched, almost in a daze from exhaustion and fear as the needles went into my neck. I hadn’t seen before, but the needles were connected to what looked like medicine tubes, and they were spreading fire into my system.  
I looked to Dakota, but her entire face had changed. Her usual kind eyes had turned fully black, and little white flecks atop her nose had appeared. Her lips became even smaller and her teeth larger. Instead of the teeth she had had, which were similar to mine, she now had a full set of razor sharp fangs. I looked to River but he too had turned into a beast. One of them, held my neck and they both bit down. It was agony and ecstasy at the same time. There was an unbearable pain emanating from my neck, and at the same time an unbearable joy flooding my brain. It was like a soothing pressure on top of being pulled apart.   
Pain! Ow! Ow! bright light, ow, ow ow light. blink, blink Marley blink! I commanded myself, but I could barely tell that my eyelids were indeed my own. I could feel their teeth in me, and wetness on my neck. The energy level in the room was so high I couldn't think, I couldn't breath. I couldn’t move, and then they let go of my neck. The energy calmed almost instantaneously as my head rolled, backward into one of their massive hands. I saw nothing, only blackness, I only know they held my head because it is still attached to me now. I blinked again, starting to get some feeling back. I felt the restraints leave my hands and feet. one of their mouths came to my ear, “What shall you name your companion?” The voice was gentle, kind again. I relaxed into it. Elephant. Elephant. Elephant. The name came to me.   
“Cole. His name is Cole” and then I don’t remember. I don’t remember leaving, or going home, or waking up in my crib.   
But somehow I did, because I was there when I blinked and I blinked again, and realised that that was where I was. I couldn’t see around the room, as I had before. Everything was out of focus. I took a deep breath, the air felt cleaner than before. “It’s the bond that does it.” I looked around for the voice,“Relax, I am to your left.” It told me. I reached up with my hand and felt nothing. “Try your other left. “ I sighed. How could a voice know which was left and right better than me? I decided not to give it the satisfaction. My hand found my head, and closed my eyes. The images of what I assumed to be the night before flooded in. River, biting me. Dakota, biting me. I touched my neck and shivered. “You’ll be sore for a few days, but it will lessen in time.” I nodded to the voice but truthfully, it could have been talking for five minutes before telling me about the bite marks and I wouldn't have noticed. As my mom always said, I was always getting lost in my own mind. Distantly, I heard voices, talking in a language I didn’t understand, coming from outside the room. I thought I could hear River and Dakota, but there were other voices I didn’t recognise, sounds like laughter boomed into the room as Dakota opened my door. I wish I could join the party, I thought to myself, but as she came in, and more of my senses returned to me, the feeling of being out of sorts and uncomfortable came back full force, and I was glad it was only her coming in to see me.   
A gentle light turned on and I was comforted by her when she lifted me. She wrapped her long arms fully around me, and nuzzled my head until it rested under her chin. “I am proud to be your mother now.” She whispered. I wanted to tell her that she wasn’t my mother, that I had a mother. But I couldn’t bring myself to actually say anything at all.   
Her long legs carried us over to the changing table. Down on the soft space, I was immediately shy and confused, a particularly loud sound came from the other room. Dakota’s unfocused head turned in the direction of the sound, and then everything hushed. If I had been feeling even slightly better, it would have been funny. But instead, I felt weak sitting at the level of her stomach and my own tummy filled with butterflies again. Her body was so big, but still it was blurry, the crib, and other things in the room seemed to just be things I knew existed, but had somehow vanished in the face of me trying to actually see them. Dakota’s dress glittered in and out of shape. I felt her push me back by my shoulders, but I struggled. Saying I wanted to be their baby was one thing, being dressed by an alien is another. Dakota put my blanket into my arms, I breathed in the scent and relaxed. Blankie had been with me since the beginning of time, whenever I felt, sad, scared, or alone, blankie always made everything better.   
“Somehow even with our bond, the blankie is more soothing.” the blob of her face shook side to side in front of me.   
“If you think you are unimportant, imagine how I feel.” I heard from the direction of the crib, it was the voice from earlier.   
Dakota didn’t respond to the voice, but I felt her hands shake with silent laughter as she pulled up something against my lower privates. Her fingers came up underneath me, and finally my fingers touched her chest again. I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. She was so close to me, leaning over on the table, probably only to grab the wipes, but still, it was comforting.   
What was going to happen to me? What had already happened to me? I had liked Dakota before but now it was somehow stronger than that, like there was a constant force pushing me into her. I was a young child again, and I needed my mother, who more and more was becoming the alien leaning over me, and less of the woman I had loved on earth.   
She slid the dress up some and I felt pressure as she pressed another button on the diaper I was wearing. Once again I was shocked it just popped open. “You can’t control your body when in our diapers. They are specifically made to force your kind to use them and further our bond. Don’t be afraid.” My face felt so hot from embarrassment. I wasn’t dry? How could that be? I was supposed to be a damn adult, Damn it! I hadn’t even noticed the wetness, but I wasn’t about to give her the satisfaction of knowing it was indeed working, I was going to blow up from the amount of blood flooding into my face. She lifted my legs with one hand, and the other pressed a cool cloth to me, strangely, I did start to feel slightly better. She pressed a new diaper to my body. I swirled the blanket around my face to hide, but she had other plans, which I realised as she gently pulled the blankie away from my forehead. I resisted the urge to cry. She put her face close to mine, still holding the blanket, and finally her face came into focus. She pressed her thin lips to my forehead. Once one of their kind chose you, there was no going back. I had only been up for a few minutes, but as she lifted me up, it felt as though that change had actually taken hours.   
“Your bond is healing well. Your eyes will adjust, but for a while, your vision will be blurry and out of focus. Your coordination will also be less advanced, you might find yourself less capable of walking, or moving. This process is designed to increase your dependability on us.” I vaguely recognized that she was telling me something, and that it was something important, but it did not sound as though she was actually talking to me. Dakota was talking above me, and I just happened to be there. I nodded to her like I understood, but I didn't really. My ears seemed to be too tired to pay attention to the words she was saying, and I was too tired to care. I felt her put me back down to sleep, and all I could think was finally! I shut my eyes wearily once again.   
I woke with a start a few hours later.. I sat up, I felt like a person again, even though I still couldn’t see as well as before. At least now the house was quiet. Even though I couldn’t see, I was eager to move. I stretched my arms and legs out and heard satisfying cracks from my elbows and knees.I stood up and looked around my room through the bars of the crib. Even out of focus the room was calm and enjoyable. It tailored perfectly to a person of my size and (according to them) age. I felt something tap my leg, and nearly jumped out of my skin when I looked down and saw a blurry toy elephant tapping my leg.   
“Uh… what?” I asked it in a half whisper.   
“It’s the middle of the night.” He was the voice from earlier! I bent down and noticed that for a toy, the elephant, Cole, rather, looked annoyed.   
“Oh. uh. Sorry. I didn’t realise you slept.” His facial expression changed to one of mental exasperation. he wobbled his little furry legs over to the other side of the room and curled up against the crib bars and wall.   
He was right, my second wind was also starting to fade.


	4. Trouble At Home

I stood there that morning feeling fine, until in my chest deep pain resonated. Stronger and stronger it came until I couldn’t bear it. , it was like a fire. I gripped my chest. I yelled out, I shut my eyes, there was a vision of a crash. Pain, so much pain, what could have happened?  
I felt myself being lifted. It was Dakota. “What is wrong? What is the problem?” The pain hurt so badly, I could barely see as Dakota held me. I knew she was talking but I was utterly consumed. How could something hurt like this? Then it was over. I gasped and blinked. I looked blurry eyed back at Dakota and River, who looked confused and worried. I was beginning to learn their facial expressions. I started to sob. Dakota who had been holding me away from her, crushed my body to her chest. “It’s okay, it’s okay, you’re all right,” she was trying to tell me.   
“It’s my mom, somethings wrong. something’s really wrong.” I whispered through tears. “I need to go home.”   
“You have had a vision, it is a sign of your transformation. In time you will learn to control them. For now you will be changed, and then have something to eat. We will discuss this afterwards.” Dakota pulled me away from her, and I could tell the concern from earlier had been replaced with a hardness.   
“My mom-” I reached back for her, but she set me down in the crib.   
“River will change you, you will eat, and then we will discuss.” She said it harsher then. But I refused to listen. She didn’t understand. That was my mother and she was in pain. I stood up on shaky legs reaching for them both, and trying to climb out of the crib.   
“But I-”   
She looked at me in the eyes and growled- baring her teeth. I whimpered and retreated back. She was punishing me. She walked out of my room. River lifted me out of the crib, but I stiffened against him. My face felt warm, and I turned my face away to brush away tears. He set me down on the table. I wiped my eyes, trying to regain what was left of my dignity. It didn’t matter because that was quickly removed by him bending me back and pulling off my diaper.   
“Do not be upset, she is worried. It is the first day you have come out of the transformation, and you wish to leave already.” I didn’t know how to answer him. I turned to look away. Now that I was conscious, I remembered how embarrassing it was to be changed by him. I felt him wiping carefully up and down my inner core, and then the diaper wrap around me once more. The pull I had felt the other day to be near Dakota and River was stronger than ever and being touched and taken care of by him, I knew, was making that even more clear. I was starting to become used to the feeling. He tried to smile at me he lifted me into his arms and held me tight. The dress fell loosely around my body. Already my first day fully awake had been a disaster. River picked my elephant up out of my crib and handed him to me. I held him a little away from me and looked into his eyes.   
He blinked, “Hello.”   
I whispered, “Hi.”  
He smiled at me under his trunk. “You will get used to me in time.”   
I scoffed. I could never be used to a talking elephant. He was insane, or maybe I was insane for listening to him. I couldn’t keep track anymore. River walked us into the front living room, where Dakota had prepared one of their food bottles for me. I did not look at her, and she had her back to us. He handed me the massive bottle. It looked like a baby bottle, but for a person my size. I looked at it in distaste. I did not have very long to make the decision of whether to drink though, because River then pushed it into my mouth. He did not give me time to think or change, I had one choice, and even that he made for me. I gave in, and sucked at the bottle. I shut my eyes.  
There was just no point in arguing with them. We were sitting on the couch now. He did not move the bottle tell I had drank every bit of it. He held me close, but looked to Dakota. He said something short and fast, in his normal voice. The one he only spoke to her in. Then looked to me. He caught my eyes, with his crisp blue irises I was trapped. They were so bright, so beautiful against his gray scaly skin. And then, just like that, he looked back to Dakota. I blinked. He spoke again to her. I looked away. I felt almost like I was intruding on their discussion. I looked back when I heard the door shut. Dakota was gone. instinctively I wondered if it had been me, and I felt bad. “It was not.”   
“But I-”   
“Dakota has gone to pack your things, We must travel quickly to see your mother.” He had a far away look in his eyes.  
“Is it... is what I saw really bad?” I whispered this. River looked down at me, looking me in the eyes once again.   
His face softened. “It is not my place to tell you, nor is it yours to ask.” I looked down again. The way they talked was different to the way humans spoke. They were colder and rougher, mouths moving to move in exaggerated ways to form responses back to me. I could tell they were trying so hard to love me, but the transition was hard for all of us. “I can change my voice if it helps.”   
“It doesn’t.” All I could think about was my mom. She needed me, and I was a million miles away playing dolls with aliens. He said nothing else to me, just held me. Soon, Dakota walked back in carrying two massive packs, at least the size of me. River stood, still holding me in one arm, and took the pack from her.   
We stepped outside of the living cube. I saw Dakota guide the ship with her hand, down out of the sky it came. The sound of the ship coming down was deafening. A pathway came out of the ship’s door, and before I even realised, River was jumping from the cube to the ship. They both landed with barely a jolt, and I looked down into the space below the ship, but could see nothing but orangey red fog. Aboard the ship, River put me down so that he could take off his pack and start preparing the ship. I was shocked at how much the ship had changed since the last time I had seen it. When I had first come onto the ship that day, it had been simplistic, with just enough for River and for Dakota. There had been one chair, and then the control center. Now, there was a traveling nursery set up. There was a crib, bolted to the floor, with a changing table close to it. They had also put down a soft rug on the hard black floor. Books and some toys in one of the corners, obviously for me, with a smaller seat next to the adult seat were all set out. Part of me was shocked, the other was happy. Again, they had shown how much they cared for me. I felt guilty about criticising my place with them, almost as much as it felt like I was not connecting to them well.  
River stood to the control center, and set me down on the floor. It felt strange to stand on my own two feet again, it seemed as though I was always being carried these days. It was alarming to me still, even after living with them for probably a week now, that the top of my head only reached their knees. I was at a loss for what to do as I stood by him, holding my elephant in one hand. Dakota meanwhile, had set down both packs on the opposite side of the ship from where my area was. I thought about our fight earlier, and immediately felt even worse about it. She had been so kind to me. As the ship slowly rose into the atmosphere, I slowly made my way trying not to fall, toward her. She must have heard me trying to come to her, because it only took a few seconds before her long arms shot out and lifted me up. She set me down on the children’s seat next to the adult seat at the front, and buckled me in with careful hands. To my dismay, the seat was alien child proof, it was like a baby padlock. Or at least, what would have been a baby version to them.  
By now, the ship was high in the sky, and the planet was shrinking below us into it’s deep red orange fog. I could not get over how different the landscape was, and as I looked out, the thoughts of my mom and Dakota melted away. It was so beautiful, Earth, although home, seemed so much paler in comparison to the vibrant colors of planet Arc. I strained in my seat trying to see as much of the landscape as I could.   
Eventually, all I could see was a faint white dot in the distance. River reached into my bag and handed me my blankie, and then he motioned for me to open my mouth. hhe placed a brown dot on my tongue, it melted into my mouth and tasted like chocolate. I felt it suddenly grow and grow until one end of the piece popped out of my mouth. I tried to drop it but it stuck to my mouth, forcing me to suck on it. Once it fully filled out, I realised it was a pacifier. River motioned for me to be quiet, and so I sucked on the pacifier and held my elephant tight, I had no other choice. Somehow I felt strangely comforted by that. I felt my eyes shutting and didn’t fight sleep.   
I yawned and sat up to see River looking over me curiously, “It is time to go now.” I sat up immediately. I was home. He unclipped my seat belt and before he could hold me I was jumping off the seat and scrambling out of the ship still sucking the pacifier I had been given. I stopped for a moment, and realised that I was in my old bedroom. The bed was made nicely, and the room was cleaner. I sat down on my bed and yawned. The room felt like it was from a different time, a different place, a different me. River and Dakota came in after me, always in synchronization. Both had to duck half their bodies to fit in my tiny room. “Why do your kind have to be so short?” River asked in disdain. I just shrugged, he pulled the pacifier out of my mouth. As soon as it was out I was bolting down the stairs calling for her, I wanted to find my mom. The longer I didn’t see her, the stronger the sinking feeling felt in my stomach that something had happened and I wasn’t there for her.


	5. You?

The aliens, even though they were quiet, were not mean. I had always been quiet so it did not phase me that they were so silent all the time. I had become used to the quiet way about them, they never yelled. Other than my original terrifying acceptance into my family’s species, there was no reason for me to feel ill at ease. Unlike with my mother, I always felt protected by them. there was something comforting in knowing that I did not have to worry about driving or fixing things or even getting to school on time. It had all been taken care off.   
But I was home here, in a different way. I knew where all the cups were, and I could tell you how every scuff mark had happened to come to these walls. They might have to carry me everywhere and feed me baby bottles on Arc, but on Earth, I could do it all.  
I raced down the stairs trying to find my mother, but no matter where I looked, it was clear she wasn’t there. It was after I had checked every room (even the bathrooms) that I realised Dakota and River were not following my every move like they did on the Arc. The pull to be near them was not as strong on Earth as it was on the Arc, but still, as I picked up the kitchen phone to check messages, wondered why that was happening. Finally, I found a message from the St. Paul’s hospital. My vision had been right, my mother had been in a car accident. I pressed the play-back button with shaking fingers. ICU room 3044 was all I listened for, before hanging up the phone to go find River and Dakota.   
They were in the living room, sitting on my couch, facing each other. They each held the other’s face in one hand and both heads were bent down. My drive to see my mom was paused, as I watched from the doorway. Once again, it felt like I was interrupting a private minute between them. ‘Marely, you are welcome here.” River’s voice rang out, soft and low. Surprised as I was, I moved more into the room. He used his other hand to wave me closer to them, and once I was close enough, River’s arm lifted me up, and put me in Dakota’s arms. I stiffened, remembering our earlier fight.   
“We- We have to go.” I stuttered out, as I felt Dakota’s other hand snaking up to cup my face, the same way she was doing to River, and River was doing to her. As soon as she had her cool fingers against my cheek, I felt and understood why they were holding each other. An intense feeling of warmth and safety was coming from her fingers and radiating through my body. The panic about my mom receded back, and I no longer felt the awkwardness I felt around Dakota from this morning.   
“River and I are combining our joint feelings of comfort and love, and using your newborn ability to absorb them to soothe you.. I am sorry for upsetting you earlier young one. You are too little to understand these complex dynamics, it’s my fault for not remembering that.” I wanted to be embarrassed at her comment about me being too little, but the feelings they were both providing me would not allow any other emotion to be felt, even though I knew I should be. All I could do was nod to her, in a pathetic attempt to accept her apology.   
They both ducked their heads further down, to wrap me in an even tighter cocoon, the feelings of warmth and comfort began to ease off. I remembered my mom, and while the cocoon helped to make me feel better naturally, the worry was coming back almost as quickly as the feeling of safety was leaving. “We have to go.” I said again. And this time, I worked to untangle their arms and legs from me, and escape out of their grasp. I knew they could have stopped me if they wanted to, but instead, I felt both of their hands hold me less and less, and I was able to climb down off the couch. For a moment, as I looked at them, they seemed to look tired. I wondered, how much strength it took out of them to provide that feeling for me. If they were indeed tired, they didn’t say anything.   
I stood outside waiting with River. Since our talk, I began to feel even safer and safer with him. I watched as Dakota pulled out a silver sphere of a backpack. She walked to the street and put it down. I watched, and realised that the sphere was the key to the spaceship. She pressed the button on the top and I watched as the ship upstairs turned into a nondescript but nice silver car. Dakota opened my door and helped me in the back seat. She put my backpack in the foot space beneath the seat beside me. She opened the bag to show me my blanket and elephant. I took them eagerly. There was no denying my terror, especially not from River and Dakota. They didn’t need to super empathize with me, they could tell it from my face.   
They were both in human form, as middle aged adults. River, a man, with dark hair and a beard and Dakota a blonde woman with freckles and blue eyes. They had picked these forms so that they could look like me. Once they had settled themselves into the car, River backed out and we were on our way. “I wish they would hurry up” I said to Cole, who was now sitting on my thighs. He cocked his head to one side.   
“If you rush too far ahead you will miss your destination.”  
“What are you a fortune cookie?”   
“It means that you shouldn’t rush into everything all at once or you’ll miss where you are really trying to go.” I rolled my eyes at him.   
‘What is a fortune cookie?” River asked as he made the turn into the hospital parking lot.  
The question startled me a minute, fortune cookies had come with the meal after every chinese take out I had ever had with my mom for the past however many years. It was shocking that something I found so normal did not exist on Arc. “They are a cookie that comes with a few lines of a life lesson inside. It comes with chinese take out.”   
River stepped out of his side of the car, and Dakota too. I quickly tried to join them, but Dakota was faster. She opened my door and took my elephant and blanket from me. She put them back in her bag and lifted it onto her shoulder. She then pulled me all the way out of the car. She may have been in human form, but she had not lost any of her otherworldly strength. “We should get some, of that what did you call it, Chinese food? While we are on this planet.” I nodded to him, but didn’t answer, we were walking in now, and once again I was overwhelmed with fear for my mother.  
The woman behind the counter looked miserable, the top of her square head, hair wrapped into a tight ponytail, was the only thing she showed me. I was nervous, but my mom needed me. “Excuse me, I’m looking for my mother’s room? Katlynn Reboard is her name?”  
“That would be an ICU patient” The woman did not even look up at us. “I. D.” Dakota handed her three licences. “216, third floor. Visiting hours end in two hours. No exceptions.”   
I nodded but I didn’t really hear her, I was already on my way to the elevators and River and Dakota were not far behind. I had to hold the elevator for them. I felt like a little child over excited to see the candy store racing ahead. Once we were in the elevator and all was quiet, I looked from one of them to the other.   
“I’m glad you’re here.” I mumbled out toward Dakota, but didn't look at her. She turned me toward her anyway and looked deep into my face. I didn't turn away, I waited.   
“You are loved.” She stood up and the elevator opened.   
I took a deep breath. Each alien took my hand. Even though on this planet i was twenty, I had grown used to depending on their attention, and now was not a time I was going to refuse it. We came to the shut door. I let go of River and Dakota and gently unlocked the door. In the first bed was my mom and I immediately tried to head straight for her but something held me back. I glanced at River and then I saw his eyes. I followed his gaze until I came to the man who was standing nervously at my mother’s bedside.   
“Dad?” I whispered.   
Before i had even realised it, Dakota and River stood in front of me. Each bent and held their hands slightly out posed and ready to jump if he made any sudden moves. I stood on my tip toes and tried to see over them to the man who looked like he was from from a long past memory. Dakota and River however, would not budge. Even in human form, I would not have wanted to be on the wrong side of them. My gaze traveled from the man in the corner to my mother, lying in the bed. There was a giant ventilator pumping air in and out, and I could see casts on her underneath the thin blankets, they made her look deformed and disjointed. I stepped slowly toward her bed, for the moment having forgotten about the man, to her bedside. I fought through the jungle of wires and plugs to reach her hand. I didn’t move from my spot looking at her the whole time we were there. I didn’t hear River and Dakota or the man ever once speak. We just stood, or maybe, I just stood, and I tuned them out instead. The only sound I heard was the breath of the machine, in and out, in and out, no life, no hope only in and out, in and out.   
Eventually River put his hand on me. His gentle touch told me it was time to leave. If my father said anything, I didn’t hear it. All I could focus on was one foot in front of the other. I couldn’t stop seeing my mother’s lifeless expression beneath my eyelids. I didn’t need the doctors to tell me, she was gone and I didn’t know if she’ll ever be back. River helped me into the back seat of the car and carefully handed me the same pacifier from earlier. He wrapped me gently in my blanket and patted my head. I sucked on it contentedly. It was strange to think how dependant I was on them already. It had only been a week and I was completely comfortable being given pacifiers and bottles and even being changed. Just like everything else River did, he drove calmly and cooly, it was easy to allow my mind to wander.  
When we arrived back, as I suspected Dakota was quick to usher me inside. I watched from the window as River played a hologram of the car driving away, and realised the ship was back upstairs. As soon as River had come back in, They regained their alien form, and I was glad. Strange as it was, this was the form I was used to seeing. Dakota held me in her arms and did not put me down, for that I was also glad. They went upstairs and into the ship with me. River to the window, and Dakota to the changing table. “I shall change you and then it is time for your rest. It is almost evening time.”   
This time I did not fight her on her plans for me. I was simply too tired and drained to see a better option for myself. I allowed her to set me down and push up my dress. I looked at her face carefully. Her eyes were so focused on what she was doing, her teeth hidden behind her lips. It was amazing how something could be so grotesque and beautiful at the same time. She pressed the blue button on my diaper, and I felt her gentle hands cleaning me. She looked up at me when she was done, and hesitated. Then she stood up more fully, and kissed my forehead. “You are a good girl,” she told me. I was shocked at her show of affection. Despite myself, I blushed a little and even more surprising was the giddy happiness I felt at her praising me. Involuntarily, I realised, I was regressing more and more each day. I felt my new diaper come on, and my dress being pulled down. I leaned my head on Dakota as she lifted me into her arms. We stood like that awhile, and then I felt myself being put down to sleep, and I welcomed it.


End file.
